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2.7 Common problems

Common problems

End of module feedback forms may indicate that improvements could be made to site structure and design. You may also detect student perceptions of the site informally throughout the term.

Difficult to navigate

If students report that the module site on Yorkshare is difficult to navigate, this may be down to site structure or lack of sign-posting at the start of the module.

Take a look at your module site from the perspective of someone who does not know your module. Can you find lecture slides for a specific week; a required reading for a seminar or prep work for a lab; the assessment approach, question and criteria?

Avoid having too many clicks to get to content. Review your menu structure if students have to go more than two levels into a content area before they find resources and activities.

Titles and file names should not be obscure. They should ideally be sequential and descriptive about the topic/resource.

Include a quick tour of the Yorkshare module site in your first lecture. Show where and when material will be posted.

Lack of engagement with prep work

A lack of engagement with preparatory tasks for seminars, labs or workshops may be caused by instructions not being clear enough or links to resources not being effectively labelled.

Check that your file names and links to files are descriptive.

Write instructions for preparatory activities and sign-post to the resources they relate to.

The site looks dull

Visual appearance can have an affective sway on engagement. Small changes to the visual appearance of your site may keep students attention.

Use a theme that is appropriate to the site.

Include a visual banner image on the first page of the site.

Include images in content areas that are appropriate to the context of the topic being studied.